Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is rather odd and I'm wondering if someone may be able to explain what happened.

I recently got 4 mice, all female. I've had them for about a week. Last night I had 4 mice and this morning I had 3.

I also have a cat.

The slits in the cage seem way too small for the mouse to have escaped. Or for the cat to get it out of the cage. So I'm left to think that the other mice may have eaten it???

I checked the cage and cleaned it out, I saw absolutely no remains, no blood, fur, nothing...

Nor did I see anything outside of the cage, or any signs that my cat had been near it. And my cat never bothered with them since I got them.

So I come home from work and I'm just completely missing a mouse.

Is it possible that the other mice would have eaten it? And to the point where there were absolutely no remains?

This is kind of freaking me out.

Mice can fit through extremely small openings. For instance, cages labled for hamsters may have bars that are spaced too far apart for mice. It is totally possible that they ate it too, they do that.

How much time passed between your last seeing it? Was it sickly?

Also just because the other 3 are still there doesnt mean that the first one did squeeze through. Just because a mouse can fit through the opening doesnt always mean they will --- I learned this when I bought a wire cage for my two mice. A week or so of use and suddenly one escaped. LOL.

Hope this helps some.

It most likely squeezed out of the bars and escaped. Unless you didn't check on your mice for several days, it will take awhile for three mice to eat an adult mouse.

When I first bought some mice, I had a male who figured out how to squeeze out of 1/4" spaced bars, he just found a weak spot on the wide side where the vertical bars weren't too close together, allowing the horizon bars to have some 'give' and he squeezed out. I found him sitting on top of the cage one day. I am very glad I had it sitting on something pretty high so climbing down onto the floor was impossible.

I suggest buying a couple live mouse traps, set them along the walls and near good hiding places (places the cat can't get to) such as near fridge/stove, if close by, or behind cupboards etc. Bait the traps with peanut butter (better smell and it doesn't go hard like cheese will). Check the traps twice a day, once in morning, once at night.

Once you capture your escaped mouse, you will need to buy another cage, as it will find the same weak spot in the cage in short order and escape again.
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PHLdyPayne

Thank you for replying, I appreciate the comments and insight.

I found the mouse, but unfortunately he didn't make it

Well the cage says it's specifically for mice, but I did just notice a spot in the cage where the wire bars seemed to be pushed open a bit. I'm not sure if it escaped or if the cat somehow pulled it out of the cage Either way its very upsetting.

I may just get an aquarium to keep them in, as this would probably be safer.

Thanks again for the help.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

Most likely your mouse pushed its way through the bars. I did have a male do the same thing...he was able to get through it when he was full grown too, but took alot of work. I had put him back in that cage months later, can't remember why..and found him outside but when he saw me, he tried to go back into his cage...it was hilarious watching him with is big butt flailing in the air as he tried to push between the bars to get back inside. He did make it eventually.

That is why I don't use the wired cages anymore. However, all glass tanks need to be cleaned often, as you don't want a build up of ammonium from the urine. All screen lids are best, like you would use for reptiles. This ensures ventilation and makes sure your mice don't find a way to climb out,usually over the water bottle.

A mesh cage would be best, but they don't sell those or at least I never saw one.
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PHLdyPayne